The German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) named Marco Sturm as new General Manager and Head Coach of the German men’s national team.

Sturm will replace Pat Cortina whose contract was let expire.

“I’m very proud that the DEB gives me the huge responsibility and I’m really immensely looking forward to this challenging and exciting task I will work on with huge motivation. Together we want to go the next step with German ice hockey,” Sturm said.

Sturm signed a two-year contract that includes the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Russia, the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Germany will co-host in Cologne together with Paris, France, and the Final Olympic Qualification in Latvia in September 2016. The contract will automatically be extended until 2018 if Germany qualifies for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

“We are glad to have found a very young and internationally renowned personality with Marco Sturm. He comes from our own ranks, knows the system of the national team, won himself a silver medal at the U18 European Championship in Berlin in 1995 and is close with the players,” the German Ice Hockey Association’s President Franz Reindl said.

“From his signing we hope for an important, emotional impulse for our national team. Marco will assemble his coaching staff himself and in particular with renowned DEL coaches.”

The long-time NHLer ended his playing career after playing with Kolner Haie in the German DEL in the spring of 2013. Earlier he played 938 NHL games (242 goals, 245 assists) for the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers as well as 68 playoff games (9 goals, 13 assists). In Germany he also played for EV Landshut and ERC Ingolstadt.

For the German national team the former winger played 54 international games (14 goals) including three Olympic Winter Games, four IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships (three in the top division) and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He also represented his country in two World Junior Championships and three U18 European Championships.

After his playing career he started his coaching education and career in the United States.

Sturm is the second former German NHL star who was hired to coach the national team. Earlier Uwe Krupp was coaching the German national team between 2006 and 2011 followed by one season with Jakob Kolliker and three with Pat Cortina. Sturm is even three years younger than Krupp when he took over the national team in the 2005/2006 season.